Getting To Know Our Customers — Shogun Maitake

Shogun Maitake is a specialty mushroom manufacturer based in London, Ontario. They partnered with Ishida in 2022, using our WM-AI automatic wrapper to package the unique delicacy of the maitake mushroom. We’re delighted to be a part of their story and to introduce them to you.

Not Your Average Mushroom

Well, you could say they’re a bit finnicky. Maitake mushrooms are extremely rare; highly sensitive to their environment, requiring precise conditions to flower. They became a delicacy throughout the Edo period in Japan, particularly among shoguns (military leaders) due to their delicious taste and health benefits. Thousands of years later, their value holds strong — now gaining traction in North America thanks to Shogun Maitake.

Est. 1983 in Japan, Mr. Yoshinobu Odaira wanted to bring the nutritional benefits of maitake mushrooms to the world. Back then, there was no known way to cultivate maitake; they were only found naturally in the wild. After years of research, trial, and error, he became the first to perfect the art of growing maitake and bring it to market in Japan, and later, in North America. In 2015, he began operations at their facility in London, Ontario, where the Ishida team visited to learn more about Shogun Maitake — and to check on our WM-AI automatic wrapper in their production zone. 😊

Our Talk with Shogun Maitake

Ishida: How did you get started in London, Ontario?

SM: We had to start from scratch when we got here in 2015. At the time, the mayor of London was selecting foreign companies to expand their business, so we took the opportunity. This location gives us good access to the market, we can distribute to the U.S. easily from here. Our company truck goes to Toronto, Chicago, and New York every week; half of our production goes to the U.S.

Ishida: You distribute the product yourself?

SM: Yes, the mushrooms need to be kept at 5°C so we need to use our own truck, it’s specially set up for the mushrooms.

Ishida: What kinds of businesses are you distributing to?

SM: Mostly high-end restaurants and some high-end grocers; our goal for 2024 is to start working with more high-end grocers.

Ishida: What sets maitake apart from other mushrooms?

SM: We’ve conducted studies and found that maitake has the most health benefits — it’s good for the immune system, blood pressure, cholesterol, skin, bones, eyes, teeth — everything! It’s cancer-fighting, which is our priority; black maitake, specifically. We’ve tried brown, yellow, white maitake — we’ve tried all of it — but research shows black is the best for cancer patients, so it’s the only kind we grow. We came here with the mission to save cancer patients.

Ishida: Are you looking to make your operations more medicinal?

SM: Yes, we are continuing trials to bring maitake to the pharmaceutical market. Studies are going well, but it takes a long time. In 2022, we launched our own Prothera supplements for cancer patients. It’s a mixture of maitake and vitamin C, limited only to those who have been diagnosed. We have a preventative supplement as well for anyone to buy, made with maitake and multivitamins. You can find them at Healthy Planet and on our website.

Ishida: What has your experience been with medicinal maitake for cancer patients?

SM: It’s been in high demand — we get orders and have to tell customers to wait to see the results of their biopsy before we can supply them with Prothera. We have had many happy customers use Prothera and see improvements in their cancer diagnosis; tumors shrinking, even at stage 4. It’s wonderful to see the results of our research.

Ishida: What message would you like to send to your customers?

SM: Study maitake. Don’t go for what isn’t proven — look into real studies. If you are educated, you’ll come back to Shogun Maitake.

For more information on Shogun Maitake and to shop their products, visit www.shogunmaitake.com

All photos credited to Shogun Maitake.